Physician Assistant SalaryPA Salary

Video Series: Healthcare Occupations and Salary

A Physician Assistant Salary or PA Salary is calculated by the US Government Bureau of Labor Statistics from a variety of sources. Physician Assistants work in a number of settings including hospitals, clinics and schools. The average Physician Assistant wage varies depending on the location and the setting. The assumption was made that the Physician Assistants reflected here were working an average of 40 hours per week with a total of 2080 hours per year.

Median Hourly & Annual Data

Hourly Wage

Hourly Wage

$30.01

$37.81

$43.72

$52.20

$59.99

Annual Wage

$62,430

$78,540

$90,930

$108,580

$124,770

Percentile

10%

25%

50%

75%

90%

Hourly

The average PA salary is $43.72 per hour. The lowest 10% earn
$30.01 per hour and those in the upper 10% earn more than $59.00 per hour.

Annually

On an annual basis
the average PA salary is$90,930. The lowest 10% earn
$62,430 per year while the upper 10% earn more than $124,770 per year. These
salaries are calculated as a mean or average.

Lowest and
Highest Physician Assistant Salary

The lowest
paid Physician Assistant earns less than $62,000 annually while the highest paid
Physician Assistant earns more than $150,000 per year.

Top 5 States
The best states to earn a Physician Assistant or PA salary
are Rhode Island, Connecticut, Washington, Oregon, and Nevada. The highest is Rhode Island at $112,250 and Nevada is the lowest at $102,670.

Top 5
Metropolitan Areas

The 5 best city
or metropolitan areas to earn a Physician Assistant salary are Racine WI, Texarkana TX-AR, Tyler TX,
Gainesville GA, and Modesto CA The highest is Racine at $145,860 and the lowest is Modesto at $123,970.

Local government, schools and colleges and employment agencies
provide employment opportunities for these professionals. A small number are
employed in Scientific research and development services and for insurance
carriers.

Employment Data

According to the US Department of Labor nationally there are 84,000 physician assistants employed in the U.S. as of May 2012. This is a slight increase from the 83,500 reported in the 2009-2011 period.

Where They Work

Most Physician Assistants work in a clinic or office. A significant number work in the hospital setting. The rest work in colleges, outpatient settings, state and federal government, and employment agencies.

Private Practice vs. Employment

Physician Assistants work in a unique partnership with a physician which is mandated by most states. There are opportunities to be self employed but they are very rare. By far the greatest percentages of these professionals are employed by other means.

Benefits

Fringe benefits will vary depending on business size and other factors. A typical benefits package can be worth over $20,000.

A Physician Assistant is part of the medical team. They diagnose and treat illness and injury under the supervision of a doctor.